Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Emporia, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Emporia, KS: $1,558 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
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Emporia, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,558

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Emporia, KS and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Emporia, KS and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,558 per month in Emporia, KS vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Emporia, KS $1,558
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,497 per month in Emporia, KS vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Emporia, KS $2,497
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,435 per month in Emporia, KS vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Emporia, KS $3,435
Nosara $3,814

Emporia, KS is about 15% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Emporia, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Emporia, KS by 15%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.83 $15.83

$12.34 ₡5,535

28.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

23.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.35%

Cappuccino

$4.45 $4.45

$4.44 ₡1,992

0.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.79 ₡803

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.29 ₡580

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.24 ₡1,451

55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.43 ₡1,985

36.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.55 ₡696

-43.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.08 ₡1,380

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.53 ₡1,133

-24.11%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$3.45 ₡1,546

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$7.32 ₡3,284

13.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 $8.45

$10.24 ₡4,594

-17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.10 ₡6,326

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.29 ₡1,027

117.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.64 ₡737

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$4.79 ₡2,149

-40.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.64 ₡735

70.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.85 ₡1,727

-57.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.75 ₡1,681

-26.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.09 ₡488

72.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.59 ₡1,160

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$5.12 ₡2,295

78.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 $9.49

$19.92 ₡8,931

-52.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.80 ₡1,255

-34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.52 ₡1,580

-26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.17 ₡973

126.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.56 ₡698

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.41 $34.41

$8.67 ₡3,886

296.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.55 ₡697

-42.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$144 $144

$94.8 ₡42.5K

52.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$46.93 $46.93

$36.15 ₡16.2K

29.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.39 $44.39

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-39.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$7.91 ₡3,548

57.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$824 $824

$490 ₡219.9K

68.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 $48.75

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.34 $25.34

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-54.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$80.4 ₡36.0K

11.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 $83.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 $685

$801 ₡359.1K

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 $546

$790 ₡354.1K

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-56.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-21.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,251 $1,251

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-82.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,246 $1,246

$1,236 ₡554.3K

0.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,551 $5,551

$887 ₡397.6K

526.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

8.62

-26.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Emporia, KS

$546 35%

Nosara

$790 43% 44.7% $244

Groceries & Markets

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 13.6% $42

Eating Out

Emporia, KS

$269 17.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 21% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Emporia, KS

$240 15.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 23.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.9% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Emporia, KS

$69 4.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.4% $20

Getting Around

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 533% $75

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Emporia, KS versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 526% higher in Emporia, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Emporia, KS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $308 in Emporia, KS vs $350 in Nosara – so Emporia, KS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

1 h behind Emporia, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,188

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Emporia, KS Nosara 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Emporia, KS
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Emporia, KS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 18% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,337 per month in Emporia, KS and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emporia, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Emporia, KS and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Emporia, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Emporia, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Emporia, KS costs $1,558 versus $1,835 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Emporia, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.